1st Female to race an Ironman Triathlon in her turnout gear. Fundraising for fellow firefighters with PTSD.

The Mission

1. To raise $25,000 for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to support Life Safety Initiative #13 for Psychological Support by competing in IronmantTriathlons in full turnout gear. We hope to help firefighters recognize symptoms and access resources to manage job related PTSD.

2. To encourage firefighters to discuss their emotions with someone. A peer, a family member, a friend, a professional. Seek help.

The Reason

Fighting fires is a hazardous job but our firefighters also face trauma situations daily. It is an unavoidable part of their job as they respond to car accidents, medical emergencies, injuries and more. These traumatic events can wear on a person mentally and emotionally. As a result they are at extremely high risk for developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many cases are unreported due to the stereotypical tough, strong image a firefighter is supposed to portray. Diana suffers from job related PTSD and has seen many friends and colleagues go without the help they need. Some have taken their own life to escape the anguish.

The Challenge

An Ironman race is a full distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a 26,2 mile marathon. Diana will be wearing turnout gear (pants, jacket, helmet, and tank) during the marathon portion of the race. The gear weighs 30+lbs. It will be a challenging day. We hope that the awesomeness of this challenge draws attention to the issue of PTSD in the fire service and fund programs to support for those struggling.

"More firefighters died by suicide than in the line of duty in 2017" - Ruder Family Foundation as reported by USA Today

help us reach our goal. Make a donation to fund programs for Firefighters with PTSD today!

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Rescue4PTSD is a fundraising campaign in coordination with the Ironaman Foundation, Your Journey Your Cause program to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Clicking "Donate" will redirect you to the IMF Crowdrisse website.